The White Prince
by CloakedDragonWing3721
Summary: Dick Grayson has fought crusades and won epic battles to the death many times, but what about the moments in between? The smaller battles that aren't over his very fate? His civilian life and family? These are the lost stories of a warrior's life. Sequel to Dark Squire, part 2 of the Knighthood series.
1. Great-Grandfather

**A/N:** So, this is the one shot series. Where to start? Well, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to staaart… ok, I'll stop singing. Anyway, we're kicking the story off on a note of torture, young!Richard, and a ton of angst. Please read **The Dark Squire** , or this will make absolutely no sense. Thank you for sticking with me as this story series grows!

Dick hated his cell. It was cold, and sterile. The only thing in it was a metal gurney that had an extremely thin mattress on it, like the kind on examination tables in the doctor's office.

Dick's left wrist was chained to the wall, the heavy clamp impossible to get out of. Dick would know. He had been trying for years.

The heavy metal door opened, and the little boy quickly slid to the ground and knelt submissively. The cold voice of the Talon who had been training him for the last few years rang out. "Gray Son, my time for training you has passed. You have mastered the basics in record time, and now you will further your training with your Great-Grandfather, the Head Talon."

Dick expected to feel shock. That his Great-Grandfather was somehow alive. That said Great-Grandfather was an evil assassin. That Dick was related to one of these monsters. Instead, all the child felt was indifference. Numbness. Did it really matter if he was related to a Talon?

All that mattered was hanging onto one of the few memories that Dick had of his mother. Besides the memory of her and his father's death. It was during one of Dick's lessons. Dick had asked why people hurt each other. His mother had answered that she didn't know, but that Dick should never, ever kill another human being. Mary and John Grayson fell to their deaths that evening.

Dick snapped back to the present, where the Talon was pulling him out of the room by the chain still attached to his wrist.

He was presented to his Great-Grandfather, whom Dick immediately hated. This was the man who claimed to be his family, who had allowed the murder of his parents, aunt, uncle, and cousin. Normally, Dick's hate would have cooled to pity when Great-Grandfather told his tale of sadness and woe, but he couldn't bring his heart to soften. This monster said he had been driven to such extremes by having his family taken from him, but he had taken his own grandchildren's lives. Unforgivable.

The loss of one of his families did not mean that he could murder his living one.

He remained still and silent, cold as glass (cold, and bright, too bright) and his face still. When Great-Grandfather told him to demonstrate his skills, he did so, taking down punching bags effectively and chillingly strategically. A little boy should not know how to slice up grown men, but he did. Then again, Dick hadn't been a little boy for years.

Dick ended up with his knife positioned against the training dummy's jugular. He waited for the order.

It came.

"Make the final blow, Gray Son."

Cold. Calculating. He hated it.

The knife slipped back into its sheath, without having cut open a throat, however fake.

"Hmm. I see. Your refusal to kill, even in simulation, is something I can remedy. Come."

Great-Grandfather gave him no choice, and grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to his quarters.

Dick was wearing only a thin black long-sleeve shirt and loose, black long pants, and the whip he despised cut through it like paper. No matter. They'd give him new clothes. Dick focused on little things like that and the way his blood looked as it pooled on the ground rather than the pain. The wounds healed in seconds, which allowed the common Talon acting on Great-Grandfather's orders to slice through his back as much as needed.

Dick was almost glad he couldn't scream. His throat would be raw by now if he could've.

Finally, they left Dick in a pool of his own blood. Before they left, Dick heard Cobb murmur, "He's perfect." Dick shuddered. He didn't want to be perfect. He wanted to be Court's definition of perfect was for him to be a meek killing machine.

Dick never wanted to be that.

Despite trying to fail the Court, he couldn't help but succeed. He could never kill. His adamant resistance to killing was the only thing holding his sanity together, he could feel it.

He had to fail the Court. He had to make his parents proud. He would never be his Great-Grandfather's Gray Son.

If he did, he would surely lose what little he had left, his mind.

 **A/N:** Not my best, but whatever. Which redhead do you want me to feature in the next oneshot, Wally, Barbara, Roy, or Kori? BTW, I'm done putting Roy down, if I do a story with him it'll be more positive.

TheChickenOfJustice: AHAHAHAHA you appreciate how fast I update, that's hilarious! Wait, you weren't kidding. Wow. I am terrible at updating in a decent amount of time. And yes, I understand your family dragging you away from the safety of your cave, I have one too, though it's more of a nest, since it's in the attic. I decided to start this before Blue Knight just for you!

CHEESEPUFF: Okay, let's see what I _can_ answer here… Blue Knight's main villain(s) are the Light, though Slade is pretty much the villain who'll be gunning for Dick. Dibs forever! Down with Nightstar/Robstar! Yeah, Jason got a cameo, which'll be expanded on in this oneshot series. One eyed person is obviously Slade. Yeah, Titans won't be in the sequel but they WILL be showing up here. I'm not posting this in the crossovers though, cause I want views. BATGIRL! No, Batwoman will NOT be showing up. I don't know anything about Kate. She kinda annoys me. I work pretty much exclusively with the Batgirls, Robins, and Batman himself. I love the coincidence with Wing's name. Nightwing? A bird that flies at night? An owl? Ugh, I'm so bad. I hope I answered the HQ question in the epilogue. Aww, you're totally my friend too! And yes, Sladeness.

WhenUniversesCollide: Jeez. This'll take awhile to reply to. It's cool. Ok, so, thank you, yes, everyone's excited about Slade (gosh, I love him), ooh, I'll look out for your apprentice!story, the Eternal Torment thing… that was more about poetic justice and giving my readers closure than anything else. All my mind-children are created equal, and I love them equally (except Dick Grayson cause he's my baby), even though I borrow them from DC Comics, so I wasn't trying to make the Talons pay per se, even though what they did to Dick was horrific. I just got the idea, and was like; YES! IRONY! POETIC JUSTICE! IMMA DO IT! And I get the stuff about them being God's children (I'm a Christian, specifically Methodist), but the Talons were never gonna repent. As the author, I know that. Since they can't die and go to hell, I made them their own personal hell. I'm pretty sure all kids do the thing where they pretend to be blind/mute/deaf whatever, I did it, and even though the Roy bits are funny, I'm gonna stop ragging on the poor guy. I'm planning a bro-fluff oneshot with Dick and Jason, you can look forward to that, um… Titans... I feel like they were essential to Dick's development as a natural leader, so… and I can't resist messing with Beast Boy's origin story. And using Star to get Babs and Dick closer together. Ooookay, I'm gonna stop now because this is LONG. I should have pmed you back. Drat.


	2. Not-So-Angry Archers

**A/N:** I got a request for a Roy story, so here it is! Oh, guys, remember, these are oneshots, so… not chronological. This takes place pre-Bludhaven's explosion, post-the-establishment-of-Nightwing (chapter 15 of The Dark Squire) and very close to the beginning of season 2 (5 years later) which means Jason died  & came back, some of the Titans left the Teen Titans, & Nightwing is leader of the team.

Nightwing knew the instant Arsenal arrived in Bludhaven. As soon as he crossed the city limits, Nightwing was notified. He was notified when Roy Harper checked into the most upscale hotel Bludhaven had, which wasn't saying much, and when he went grocery shopping. Nightwing frowned at the information his informant had given him. Applesauce, apple juice, baby food? Diapers?! Why did Roy I'm-constantly-pmsing Harper want baby food and diapers?

His informant wasn't wrong, the source was reliable (a one-time crook he had set straight and had been loyal to him since) and knew who he was to look for because Nightwing had sent him a photo when face-rec had picked Roy up.

When Roy appeared on the top of the biggest building in Bludhaven (the WE branch that Dick Grayson had headed until he had been put on the board of the overall company) and sat down with a bundle and without his bow, Nightwing decided to pay him a visit.

Nightwing stepped out of the shadows behind Arsenal, and stood silent and still, as was his custom, and waited for the archer to notice him. He waited five minutes, then concluded that Roy was completely oblivious. The archer nearly fell off the roof when Nightwing tapped his shoulder. After a round of swearing that Nightwing bore through with a raised eyebrow, Roy huffed, "Don't _do that_!"

Nightwing's eyebrow inched up a bit in a silent (duh) question mark. Arsenal just kept swearing. Finally, Nightwing signed, what? At him.

Arsenal just stared at him blankly and Nightwing huffed when he remembered that Arsenal didn't know ASL. Nightwing activated his wrist computer and typed out quickly, _What?_

Arsenal stared at him more. "What do you mean, what?"

Nightwing sighed noiselessly. _What. Are. You. Doing. Here.?_

Realization dawned on Roy's face. "I… um… I… need help." At Nightwing's questioning look, he picked up the small bundle and showed him that it was a baby. "This is my daughter, Lian. Cheshire… Cheshire's her mom."

Nightwing typed on his computer. _Yeah. So?_

Arsenal gaped at him. "You knew about Lian?"

Nightwing smirked at him. _I make it my business to know everything. The League of Shadows has a file on her, by the way. Before you ask, no, they don't want to recruit her, they've got a price on Jade's head for desertion._

Instead of looking worried, Roy smiled. "Good. That means she's actually trying to change sides."

Nightwing nodded noncommittally, and kept staring at him.

Roy gazed at the baby in his arms wordlessly until Nightwing repeated his question.

 _Tell me what you are doing here or get out of my city._

Roy nodded. "Sorry, I just… umm… I need a new team. I tried going solo, but I've realized that now that I have Jade and Lian… I need allies. But the heroes won't accept me back, but I don't want to be a villain. I'm trying to help Jade out of that life, and I don't want Lian to grow up like Jade did. You're the most connected hero in the world, and you're darker than most. Do you know anyone who's like me? In between?"

Nightwing was about to say he couldn't help Arsenal, but then he was struck by an amazing idea. Who was abrasive, wasn't afraid to kill, not a part of the hero community, not a villain, had connections on both sides, and was kid-friendly? Who had an obsession with the color red, just like Roy?

It was only a bonus that Nightwing had always wanted his little brother to have some backup. Jason and Roy would either be best friends or worst enemies.

 _I might know just the guy._

 **000000000**

Turns out, they were best friends _and_ worst enemies. Kori had joined them, and Jade was a part-time member of the group. They had named themselves the Outlaws. Dick had suggested Three-People-Obsessed-With-Red, but Jason had threatened to shoot him.

Dick watched through his binoculars proudly as the team of three busted a drug ring, arguing all the way. Personally, Dick was used to his teams being more professional, but it wasn't his team, it was Jason's. Nightwing grinned and flipped away across the buildings as Roy and Jason began shooting each other.

He'd kick them out of Bludhaven tomorrow. After all, couldn't have a group of violent antiheroes in his city.

Not to mention it was annoying when he went to stop a robbery and found out it was Jason.

 **A/N:** Yeah, I kinda like this one. I can't help but be sassy when it comes to Roy, but there was no more Roy-bashing! Surprisingly, no one was mad about my Roy-bashing. Anyway, watched the LEGO Batman movie and LOL it was so funny. Barbara's age annoyed me so much because NO she's only a few years older than Dick, in fact she's only 1-2 years older than him in YJ. And oh my god, Alfred was perfection! And it acknowledged Dick and Bruce's father-son bond! Pissed me off that they didn't mention Zucco or Mary and John at all. And I love the references to the old campy Batman remake. You got Union Jack'd… god, Alfie. They need to quit it with the Superman thing. I was actually on Joker's side. And then they mentioned Tarantula as one of the bad guys and I was like HOLY CRAP IT'S THE CHICK WHO RAPED NIGHTWING! WHY IS SHE IN A KID'S MOVIE?! ISN'T SHE A BLUDHAVEN VILLAIN?! Anyway, I'm gonna stop ranting. I have a Batman plushie OMG!

 **OK GUYS, NEW PROMPT SELECTION:**

Barbara

Teen Titans Formation

Wayne Family Reunion

Justice League Meets Robin/Dick (must include which League member)

Alfred Meets Dick

Fly1ng Grayson: Oh, I love having a oneshot series. It so destressing. Doesn't take any effort. I just write what I want, when I want, with no plot to follow. It's quite fun. So it is my pleasure to write.

Cambriayoung: I went with Roy, but Kori had a cameo! Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you're open-minded about it!

SunSunTheRebirth: Congrats, you won! I went with Royboy!

Delarose: Thank yoooouuuu! I do hope this turns out well! D'aww, I can't believe my au is one of your favorites! That's so nice!

CHEESEPUFF: YES! DIBS FOREVER! DOWN WITH DORI… KICK… Whatever their civilian name ship would be… DIBS HAS DIBS! Kate may have a cameo if you guys choose the 'Wayne family reunion' one. And I don't really understand what you were saying with failures and rogues and the Court, so can you clarify? Umm… I can try to reference Mary and Calvin I guess… Don't know when I could… I'll try though! YES! NIGHTWING! BIRD WHO FLIES AT NIGHT! I'm such an idiot. Pfft, I wasn't even trying with that cliffhanger. And I am updating… NOW!

TheChickenOfJustice: I'm sorry, I actually cannot get over your awesome name… umm anyway, my problem isn't not making a massive plot, it's writing a chapter that's more than 2,000 words. I just don't have stamina. Or motivation. I'm basically just really lazy. And… um… Batman met Dick for the first time at the end of Chapter 1 of Dark Squire… so… *coughs awkwardly* can't really do that…


	3. Pennyworth

**A/N:** Because Alfred is a boss. Sorry this took so long guys, the writer's block was insane. I got pretty equal requests for each option, so I just took the one that was coming to me the easiest.

Alfred didn't know what to think. Master Bruce had come home from the circus worked into a state of anger and grief. He went straight to the Batcave, put on the cowl, and began furiously working. Alfred stood their for a few minutes, waiting for Master Bruce to acknowledge him, until he decided that the Master was not going to tell him what happened if he was not prodded.

"Master Bruce?"

No answer.

"Master Bruce?"

Strike two.

"Master Bruce, what happened?" Batman let out a world-weary sigh and buried his cowled face in his gloved hands.

"It all went wrong Alfred. The Flying Graysons, the stars of the show… they died. No, they were murdered." Alfred sucked in a breath.

"Not everything is murder, Master Bruce," he tried gently.

Batman just shook his head. "No, they were murdered. The Flying Graysons were a couple and their young- very young- son. The boy, Richard Grayson, was about to join his parents on the trapeze when a knife was thrown. It sliced through the trapeze ropes like they were nothing, Alfred… and hitting the ropes at all is an astonishing feat. The parents… they fell. Then, two men dressed in… metallic owl costumes grabbed the boy. One of them said 'Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time' like that nursery rhyme, and they were gone."

"Oh my."

"Yes. I have to find them. The boy, he was only five years old."

"Oh _my_."

And so began an obsession that took years and a silent child to cure.

 **000000000**

When Master Bruce had left the cave that night saying, 'I have a lead on the Grayson case' it was not unusual. Such leads came up every few months and Master Bruce would hunt them down ruthlessly, intent on finding the Graysons' murderers/kidnappers. However, it had been four years and the trail had gone cold.

Alfred had expected Master Bruce to find yet another dead end, and spend the rest of the week obsessing over the missing boy who had been long presumed dead by the authorities.

The aging butler had _not_ expected Master Bruce to emerge from the Batmobile only to turn around and lift a sleeping child out.

Alfred felt a jolt of recognition as he caught a glimpse of the boy's face. This was the face that had stared out of the Batcomputer at Batman for four years. Older, certainly, with much less baby fat, but it was the same boy.

The Wayne butler next noticed the boy's clothes. Loose black cloth pants and a long-sleeved black cloth shirt, but what was more interesting was the many weapons strapped to him. Alfred caught sight of a handgun at his hip, a bandolier of knives, a bo staff, escrima sticks, bolas, a _katana_ strapped to his back, a few grenades, and countless throwing stars. Alfred did not want to know what was in the boy's utility belt. Alfred felt a bit faint when he remembered that if the boy was who he looked like, he was only nine years old.

Alfred held his questions at the sight of Master Wayne's stormy expression. He hid his surprise when Master Bruce carried the boy to his own old room, next to the master bedroom where Master Bruce now occupied. After Master Bruce had removed the arsenal of deadly weapons (Alfred had caught a glimpse of a vial of suspiciously poisonous looking liquid and paled. What child carried such terrible weapons?) they left for the study. Master Bruce had shed his layers of kevlar and changed into a set of silk pajamas and a robe.

Alfred sat properly on an armchair in the east sitting room, calmly sipping tea while the master of the house paced restlessly. Finally, Master Bruce planted his hands on an end table and stared moodily into space.

"It was awful, Alfred." Alfred said nothing, but he didn't need to. Master Bruce continued his rant.

"He-he's a _child_ , Alfred! And those-those _monsters_ mutilated him!"

Alfred looked up, surprised. "What do you mean, Master Bruce?"

Master Bruce had sat- more like collapsed- on the sofa. "I don't know how, or why, but they did something to him… he's mute, Alfred."

"Heavens!"

"When I found him, the poor boy was being dragged off by his trainer. They were training him as an assassin. They kidnapped a _five-year-old_ to be an assassin. And… whatever their teaching methods are, they work."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"He managed to get away from the Talon that had been pulling him away. It was uncanny, really. Nearly broke the man's wrist. The Talon fled after he saw that he had lost Dick."

"Dick?"

"Richard wrote in the dirt on the way out that he goes by Dick."

"I see."

Master Bruce looked up at his loyal butler. "He didn't succumb to their brainwashing."

"Pardon?"

"He fought back. His back is bandaged up, and he's covered in scars. I suspect that he's been whipped, likely many times. He also bears marks of cutting, branding, and recent beatings. Possible acid burns as well."

"Oh _my_."

"Yes. But it tells me he isn't lost, if he had still been resisting the Court. He's strong."

Alfred leaned forward in his chair. "Indeed. But the question is, what will you do with him."

Master Bruce sighed heavily. "He's been abused and isolated for four years. He has an incredible amount of training. Dick simply doesn't know how to interact with people. Added to his disability… I-I think I want him to stay here. Where I can protect him from the Court. And… I promised him he could stay with me. He looked scared, and I needed to say something… and, well, as strange as it sounds… we _clicked_."

"It doesn't sound strange at all, Master Bruce," said Alfred. "You saved him from being brainwashed and tortured for the rest of his life, and you have spent the last four years searching for him. Just be patient and careful. This child needs you, and you must be there for him."

 **000000000**

And indeed he was. Within weeks, Alfred simply couldn't imagine life in the manor without the small boy padding quietly around the halls, sneaking up on both of them accidentally and flashing an awkward smile before signing clumsily, but excitedly, at them.

While there were many bad days, panic attacks, hallucinations, night terrors, and more haunting the boy, Dick Grayson was worth every second of worriedly watching Master Bruce prop the tiny, hyperventilating child against his chest and saying ' _come on chum, breathe with me, in… and out… in… and out…'_

The child was incredibly undaunted by the horrors he had witnessed, and Alfred was not surprised when Dick declared his decision to aid in Batman's crusade. He couldn't help the pride that flooded him when his grandson-figure declared with nimble hands that he wanted to use his skills to save others from the awful things that had happened to him. Dick didn't want to join the crusade for revenge, but for justice.

Alfred sadly watched the child marvel over ordinary things like birdsongs and undrugged water, and nearly wept when Dick informed him matter-of-factly that he hadn't been outside the Court's complex in four years.

When Dick told Alfred that the Talon training him had been his immortal Great-Grandfather, but that Dick thought Alfred was a much better Grandfather, the aging butler nearly wept again. Instead, Alfred gave one of his rare hugs and lead his silent new grandson in for tea and cookies.

 **A/N:** Whew. Anyway, have some Alfred, and forget about my 3 month accidental hiatus. Yup. Umm… I can't do the shoutouts anymore because they're getting too long (keep reviewing tho please!) so I'm just writing a list of reviewer's names and pming those with accounts. I don't know how many times I've said this, but thank you CHEESEPUFF for encouraging (cough guilt tripping cough) me into updating!

Shoutouts and much love to: CHEESEPUFF (x 1 billion love u), Fly1ng Grayson, TheChickenOfJustice, WhenUniversesCollide (x2), RangerPeach2 (u DO read my stories, sis!), Star-The-Writer, Mikekit, and DaughterOfLoki1!

Not thanking the rude Guest who reported all my stories. Why are the rude people always anonymous?!

CloakedWing out!


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